Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Anonymous

Yes! When I was in undergrad, I was so frustrated by the mass of untrue information being spread that I was convinced that the only way my truth could be heard was if I had credentials. That was the spark that interested me in pursuing my M.S. and PhD, but is not what has kept me here. Understanding what persuades and drives people has – and ultimately, I’ve come to learn that cold hard facts presented on PowerPoint slides are not the biggest drivers.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

I should have used a picture of a horse instead! I research dairy cows, so naturally I am inclined to use pictures of them…oops! I like what you said about how the Internet allows us to share our thoughts without having to spend money to advertise them. Though money does help those organizations spread their “information” more rapidly and through different mediums, we still (currently) have open and neutral Internet access, and there are ways we can make ourselves heard.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

Thanks, Jyotsana! I am reminded of our exercise in Communicating Science, where we told our “life story” to another person in class, and they had to recite our story back to the class in first person. I feel this was a good exercise for us to take a step back and figure out what resonates with others about our studies. Making that connection is a highly difficult but valuable skill to have.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

Thanks, Whitney! I’m guilty as well. Speaking up is very difficult, no matter what the subject. It takes time and energy to do it correctly, and you risk putting yourself out there and potentially being disliked. I think it is good to practice our discussions with people we already know, such as family and friends. That way we are more prepared and confident for commentary with a stranger.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

I agree, I always say that there are bad players in every game. But why does that tarnish the reputation of the whole group? I am often discouraged by the petri dish of the Internet, where like-minded opinions feed upon each other and kill out any foreign commentary to come their way. Perhaps our goal could be shifted more toward grabbing the interest of those who don’t have pre-formed biases.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

I feel the rejuvenation as well! The more we are being sold to blog, or really just any form of putting ourselves out there as professionals, the more I am convinced it is something we need to do more of. People will less often just try a product on a whim that they haven’t heard of or seen advertised – the same goes for ourselves, people aren’t just going to come to us, we have to advertise ourselves to them.

Comment on Learning to ride the discussion horse by Jacquelyn Prestegaard

Thanks, Kristin! I think our society is so spoiled by access to information that sadly, “clickbait” titles are going to get you more views. However, just because the title is catchy doesn’t mean it has to be inaccurate, right? It’s kind of like when we are taught to write essays that the first sentence needs to grab the readers’ attention. It makes for better content and instills interest from the get-go, which help you seem more personable.

Comment on Twitter & Blogs as Publication Outlets by Hana Lee

True. All you discussed here is how the majority of people feel about social media outlets. All the new platforms have its own opportunities for sure, in communicating/interacting with other people, and as a tool for education. Like you mentioned above, I also would not use this type of platform to publish my work for now. However, I guess it could be a great way to publish/share idea depending on types of research or disciplines. Because there are a lot of publications already, that are actually the results of blogging.

Comment on Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog! by Armin

Traditionally, the role of universities and professors has been more or less limited to lecturing and conducting research. Recently, communication technologies have transformed the lives and habits of people, especially students and professors. To meet the resulting demands for adapting technology, there is a global push toward web presence as an indicator of the quality of major universities. Regardless of this pressure, I think the decision to create and maintain a professional blog partly depends on how much a professor wants to present and open him/herself to the new world that is less dependent on time and place and is entirely run by the use of communication technologies.
Expectations from a university professor are now far more than what they were in the past. Professors also work in very different ways from a typical industrial employee. Professors are the international leaders in their own fields who should constantly travel to all over the world and engage in private and public initiatives. As a result of all the changes, they necessarily have a much larger audience, ranging from students to government officials who communicate with the professor and should be aware of his/her activities.
Obviously, a professor’s blog is not a place to share his/her personal life. Rather blogs are media through which professors archive their past work, announce their ongoing activities and propose their future directions. I think the need for maintaining a blog in the age of communication technologies partly stems from the fact that social media (e.g., Facebook, Youtube, etc.) limit the abilities and the audience of a professor due to their commercial nature and intended purposes. Blogs are only managed by their owners and are visible to the public, at any time and at any place, and this global visibility and transparency is a very unique characteristic of our time.